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Coeliac and Urticaria

Posted , 6 users are following.

janemorgan
janemorgan

Hi i was diagnosed with Coeliac disease over two years ago and rigidly stick to my diet but just recently have been diagnosed with Urticaria ( Severley Itchy Skin like Hives) Has anyone else experienced this and is it linked to my Coeliac Disease?

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • natcann
    natcann janemorgan

    Posted

    Hi there. I obviously can only post my history . When I was diagnosed I had quite bad dermatitis herpetiformis which is similar to Urticaria and was very itchy. It is common with people who have CD.  This disappeared when I was diagnosed and went GF. However, it returned last year althought I was very strict with my diet and having been diagnosed in 1998 thought I knew most of the pitfalls. I asked on this forum if anybody else had experienced this and somebody posted that they got the rash when they ate gluten free porridge as there is something( can't remember what it is called ) that is similar to gluten. This person couldn't tolerate porridge even if GF. I stopped eating porridge to try and the rash disappeared.. I cannot say for sure that it was the porridge that was causing the rash or if there are other GF foods which we can be sensitive to. Good luck
    • janemorgan
      janemorgan natcann

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply, its kind of reassuring to know that it may be linked to Coeliac disease and i have been eating GF Porridge so i will stop that as from now. The Doc has given me a blood test and so far i havent heard anything back. It seems that im becoming more intolerant and allergic to alot of things now, my skin seems ultra sensitive for some reason. i suppose if nothing shows up in the test i will have to try eliminating certain foods which is a real pain as us GFS as you know are quite limited anyway. Thank you very much for your help.
  • Bellaartemis
    Bellaartemis janemorgan

    Posted

    Hi Jane

    Urticaria (hives) is very much linked to coeliac and a symptom of it and many other autoimmune (AI) conditions including thyroid conditions (also linked to coeliac). Urticaria, however, can be independent of coeliac,

    unlike Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) which is always linked to coeliac

    and is different from hives. Like DH, hives can come and go, however,

    they can also be chronic and last for years.

    Whilst coeliac could very well cause or contribute to hives, there could be another cause either linked to coeliac even when strictly GF (reaction to "gluten like" foods eg corn protein can sometimes cause a coeliac-like reaction, for example, or residual gluten reactions whilst the body is still repairing) or totally independent (at least appearing so) from it such as from another AI condition such as Hashimotos).

    So, yes, it could very well be from coeliac despite being GF or it could not be. Do you have any other symptoms that could be another AI issue? Unfortunately when we have one AI condition, we are predisposed to others.

    I hope this helps.

    • janemorgan
      janemorgan Bellaartemis

      Posted

      Hi thank you for your reply. My other symptons other than the itching which has just started in the last two months are feeling quite shakey and a kind of sea sick feeling. Its really weird as im so careful with my diet. Hopefuly the blood test wont reveal anything too sinister but i kind of want the docs to be able to give me something to relieve this itching as im not keen on taking the strong antihistimine for the rest of my life as im sure that cant be any good for you either?
  • jacksquirrel
    jacksquirrel janemorgan

    Posted

    Hello

    Did you get to bottom of your cause of hives. I just wondered because I get hives. It would be every day but I take antihistamines every other day and it seems to hold it off for two days. This all started in February 2014, about the same time as I started with the stomach pains and constipation, joint pains etc. I had a blood test for coeliac but it came back negative but I am so much better if I don't eat gluten and I know about it when I've made a mistake so I stay away from it. I also have problems with maltodextrin. The doctors say it is just IBS but I get that and it is a very different pain so I know it's not that so I just don't eat gluten and feel better. However, the hives have never gone away so I am confused. I don't eat oats because I'm not sure if they cause me problems too. Would love to find a solution so I could stop taking the antihistamines.

  • TeddyCan
    TeddyCan janemorgan

    Posted

    Coeliac or celiac disease is sometimes associated with chronic hives. I think you are on gluten-free diet. In my opinion, this is the time to consult an immunologist if the problem persists.
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